The Bottom Line
by Ultra-Geek
Summary: Because the bottom line was that they needed each other, and that was all right. Zuko and Iroh centric, season 2 finale spoilers.


**Title: **Bottom Line  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything  
**Rating: **T  
**Summery: **Because the bottom line was that they needed each other, and that was all right. Zuko and Iroh centric. Season 2 finale spoilers.  
**AN: **What's this? Am I actually writing a story that isn't Sokka centric? Wow, I'm shocking myself here! Speaking of shocking, how 'bout that finale? I was sitting there like 'WTF?!?!?! ZUKO!!!! NO!!!!!!!'  
Also, for the quotes in here, I know that they're not all right, so just bear with me. I got 'em as close as possible.

Zuko sat up, rubbing his eyes. It had to have been a dream. He jumped out of his bed, running towards the Fire Nation Palace's gardens, where his mother and he had spent many hours together. His father's silhouette was still and forboding against the peaceful surroundings. "Where is she?!" Zuko demanded.

Ozai bowed his head, and that was all Zuko needed. Tears ran down his young cheeks as he ran through the halls of the palace. Not looking where he was going, he slammed into the portly figure of his uncle. "Prince Zuko?" The man pulled a handkerchief out of his sleeve. "What is wrong?"

Zuko attempted to tell his uncle the story, uninhibited by the fact that he'd just lost his son, Zuko's cousin. Through broken sentences and shuddering breathes, he told Iroh the story.

Because the bottom line was that it was his fault his mother was dead.

"Father, please! I don't want to fight you!" Iroh could barely stand to hear his nephew's pleads. Ozai seemed to not even hear the boy. Zuko didn't deserve this. He had been correct about the sacrifice of the forty-first division being unnessicary. Iroh knew it, the General knew it, and even Ozai himself knew it. The only one who didn't was Zuko himself.

As Ozai sent a blast of fire at his son, Iroh looked away.

Because the bottom line was that the Dragon of the West wasn't brave enough to see another person he loved hurt.

"Definitely Uncle's," Zuko muttered to himself as he sniffed the sandal. A shadow passed overhead, and he looked up in time to see the Avatar's bison flying through the sky. "The Avatar!" He mounted back onto the rhino, ready to go after him. But something on the road caught his eye.

It was the single, discarded Fire Nation sandal.

He glanced up to where the bison could still be barely seen, before looking down at the shoe again. He was at a crossroad. One, he went after the Avatar and left his uncle to the mercy of his captors. Two, he risked loosing the Avatar and saving Iroh. In the end, it wasn't that difficult of a choice.

Because the bottom line was that Iroh had always, no matter what, been there for him, and now Zuko had a chance of returning the favor.

Staring at the burning remains of his and his nephew's ship, Iroh was in shock. No, this wasn't happening. No, not again.

No.

No!

No!

The word was repeated like a mantra through the General's mind. Zuko had still been on the ship. "Zuko…" he whispered, as if by some miracle he'd be answered.

"…Uncle…!"

Iroh looked around, and saw a figure pulling itself up onto the shore. He hurried over. Helping him onto the shore, he quickly began to assess the young man for any serious injuries, all the while berating him. "…You could have been killed! Do you realize that?! Zuko, you are too important to die! If you ever, _ever_ scare me like that again, I will kill you myself! Maybe you should listen to me when I tell you things like 'take a walk'…!"

Zuko merely grinned slightly, because the bottom line was that Iroh, without Zuko, was alone.

"…We have nothing to gain by traveling together anymore." Zuko turned and walked away. He didn't look back, he couldn't look back. He knew that if he did, then he'd never be able to leave.

"Zuko, wait!" He turned, not meeting Iroh's eyes. His uncle was holding out the reins of the ostrich horse to him.

"Thank you," He said quietly, before riding away and not looking back.

Because the bottom line was that Zuko wasn't brave enough to look back at Iroh's slowly shrinking face.

"NO!" Zuko yelled as his uncle spun in a grotesquely graceful arc, before crashing unceremoniously to the ground. A blast of earth, fire, water, and air all slammed into Azula, which she deflected, making a clean getaway. Zuko fell to his knees next to Iroh.

"Zuko," One of the Avatar's companions were talking to him, the waterbender. "I can help, I'm a healer!"

"Leave!" He yelled, already starting to figure a way of bandaging Iroh's wounds. Zuko sent a blast of fire over his shoulder for good measure. He had taken what little blankets and extra clothing they had to make bandages for his uncle.

So when Iroh opened his eyes, and saw Zuko standing there, he understood. Because the bottom line was that Zuko, without Iroh, was alone.

"I'm begging you, Prince Zuko," Iroh yelled to his nephew. "It's time for you to look inward and start asking yourself the big question: Who are you and what do _you _want?!"

Zuko looked over at his uncle, seeing only clear love, understanding, and hope. And to teen, it was a love, understanding, and hope that he didn't deserve. In frustration, he threw his swords to the ground, centering all of his anger and his guilt into one yell.

Because the bottom line was that Iroh had always had a way with helping him see what was right.

"…I need you, Zuko." Azula said, before rushing after the Avatar. Iroh watched the young firebender intently. But, without saying, as soon as Zuko's posture slumped slightly, Iroh knew what he was going to choose.

Zuko looked at the old man. It was as if he was using his eyes to ask for Iroh's permission to betray the world's last hope. Iroh shook his head, and did the one thing he had sworn never to do again.

He looked away from Zuko, because the bottom line was that he couldn't bring himself to the fact that for the first time in a long while, he was truly alone.

Zuko bit his lip as he walked away from Azula, who was sitting imperiously on the Earth Kingdom throne. He had betrayed Iroh. His own uncle, who was now locked in the dungeons.

And why? Because of the chance of winning back his honor, because he would get to finally go home, because he would get his father back. But no matter how hard he tried, every time he blinked, every time he closed his eyes, all he saw was Iroh turning away. All he saw was the disappointment in the old man's eyes.

Because the bottom line was that he was traitor, and for the first time since Iroh had joined him on his hunt for the Avatar, he was truly alone.

Iroh gazed out sadly from behind the bars. He had finally come to terms with the fact that Zuko had chosen his road, just as Ozai had before him and Azulon before him.

It was a never ending cycle, one that had seemed to skip Iroh somehow.

Footsteps echoed from the hallway. Low murmured voices, and then Zuko's voice yelling, "Watch out!" followed by several blasts of rock and fire.

Iroh stood, the chains around his ankles rattling. The door slowly creaked open, revealing Zuko, holding the keys.

The old general said nothing. Zuko finally said two phrases that almost brought Iroh to tears. "I'm sorry, let's get out of here."

Because the bottom line was that they needed each other, and that was all right in the end.


End file.
